4,803 research outputs found
Panchromatic imaging and spectroscopic observations of the mass ejections of RY Scuti
We describe recent panchromatic imaging and spectroscopic studies of the
supergiant, mass-transferring, binary star RY Scuti, which is in a brief
transitional phase to become a Wolf-Rayet star and a stripped-envelope
supernova.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of "Physics of Evolved Stars 2015 - A
conference dedicated to the memory of Olivier Chesneau
Impacts of Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams on High Frequency Operations as a Function of Modeled Particle Energy Flux
Space weather events can cause irregularities within the ionosphere; in particular, this research examines sub-auroral polarization streams (SAPS), as their accompanying irregularities and effects can degrade high-frequency (HF) signal propagation. It is known that the strongest westerly current drifts delineating SAPS are associated with a deep ionospheric trough, which in turn contaminates HF data with clutter from the non-standard ionosphere. Having a methodology to track and identify these occurrences on current computational architecture would provide operators enhanced situational awareness in knowing to expect degradation in HF processes. This study has discovered a weak, yet significant, exponentially decaying correlation between maximum SAPS flow velocity and electron energy flux. Also examined is overarching characteristics most commonly associated with SAPS events. It has been noted that March is the most common month for SAPS formation, as well as finding electron energy flux for SAPS flow to be 4.0 ergs/cm2s with a best regression during solar minimum. The location of the energy flux is just as important as locating the proper energy flux values. This information established an operational rule of thumb to help radar operators determine when SAPS events will degrade standard radar operation
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Phylogenetic Analysis of Pelecaniformes (Aves) Based on Osteological Data: Implications for Waterbird Phylogeny and Fossil Calibration Studies
Background: Debate regarding the monophyly and relationships of the avian order Pelecaniformes represents a classic example of discord between morphological and molecular estimates of phylogeny. This lack of consensus hampers interpretation of the group's fossil record, which has major implications for understanding patterns of character evolution (e.g., the evolution of wing-propelled diving) and temporal diversification (e.g., the origins of modern families). Relationships of the Pelecaniformes were inferred through parsimony analyses of an osteological dataset encompassing 59 taxa and 464 characters. The relationships of the Plotopteridae, an extinct family of wing-propelled divers, and several other fossil pelecaniforms (Limnofregata, Prophaethon, Lithoptila, ?Borvocarbo stoeffelensis) were also assessed. The antiquity of these taxa and their purported status as stem members of extant families makes them valuable for studies of higher-level avian diversification.Methodology/Principal Findings: Pelecaniform monophyly is not recovered, with Phaethontidae recovered as distantly related to all other pelecaniforms, which are supported as a monophyletic Steganopodes. Some anatomical partitions of the dataset possess different phylogenetic signals, and partitioned analyses reveal that these discrepancies are localized outside of Steganopodes, and primarily due to a few labile taxa. The Plotopteridae are recovered as the sister taxon to Phalacrocoracoidea, and the relationships of other fossil pelecaniforms representing key calibration points are well supported, including Limnofregata (sister taxon to Fregatidae), Prophaethon and Lithoptila (successive sister taxa to Phaethontidae), and ?Borvocarbo stoeffelensis (sister taxon to Phalacrocoracidae). These relationships are invariant when ‘backbone’ constraints based on recent avian phylogenies are imposed.Conclusions/Significance: Relationships of extant pelecaniforms inferred from morphology are more congruent with molecular phylogenies than previously assumed, though notable conflicts remain. The phylogenetic position of the Plotopteridae implies that wing-propelled diving evolved independently in plotopterids and penguins, representing a remarkable case of convergent evolution. Despite robust support for the placement of fossil taxa representing key calibration points, the successive outgroup relationships of several “stem fossil + crown family” clades are variable and poorly supported across recent studies of avian phylogeny. Thus, the impact these fossils have on inferred patterns of temporal diversification depends heavily on the resolution of deep nodes in avian phylogeny.</p
Drought and Small-Bodied Herbivores Modify Nutrient Cycling in The Semi-Arid Shortgrass Steppe
Climate change will increase the frequency of droughts over the next century, with severe consequences for ecosystem function in semi-arid grasslands. The shortgrass steppe (SGS) experiences some of the largest interannual variation in precipitation among terrestrial biomes and exhibits extremely high sensitivity to drought. Yet despite decades of research describing the consequences of drought for ecosystem function in the SGS, we currently have little information regarding the impact of drought on bioavailability of important nutrients other than nitrogen, the contribution of herbivores to bioavailable concentrations of these nutrients, and whether drought alters herbivore-derived nutrient cycling. To quantify the impacts of long-term drought and small-bodied herbivores on nutrient cycling and aboveground net primary production (ANPP), we factorially manipulated rainfall and herbivore presence in the SGS of northern Colorado. Specifically, we measured the impacts of drought and herbivores on bioavailability of ten important nutrients: aluminum, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, nitrate, phosphorus, sulfur, and zinc. We then correlated these nutrients with grass production to determine whether reduced plant growth under drought conditions causes a belowground buildup of nutrients. Drought reduced ANPP as expected, and also altered concentrations of many nutrients apart from N, which clustered in their drought response. In contrast, small-bodied herbivores did not affect ANPP or soil N. However, they did contribute to the bioavailable soil concentrations of two important nutrients: PO4-P and S. Importantly, drought generally did not modify the contribution of herbivores to nutrient cycling, suggesting that herbivores might be a critical component of biogeochemical cycling regardless of precipitation in semi-arid grasslands
Isotropic-medium three-dimensional cloaks for acoustic and electromagnetic waves
We propose a generalization of the two-dimensional eikonal-limit cloak
derived from a conformal transformation to three dimensions. The proposed cloak
is a spherical shell composed of only isotropic media; it operates in the
transmission mode and requires no mirror or ground plane. Unlike the well-known
omnidirectional spherical cloaks, it may reduce visibility of an arbitrary
object only for a very limited range of observation angles. In the
short-wavelength limit, this cloaking structure restores not only the
trajectories of incident rays, but also their phase, which is a necessary
ingredient to complete invisibility. Both scalar-wave (acoustic) and transverse
vector-wave (electromagnetic) versions are presented.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figure
X-ray Emission from SN 2012ca: A Type Ia-CSM Supernova Explosion in a Dense Surrounding Medium
X-ray emission is one of the signposts of circumstellar interaction in
supernovae (SNe), but until now, it has been observed only in core-collapse
SNe. The level of thermal X-ray emission is a direct measure of the density of
the circumstellar medium (CSM), and the absence of X-ray emission from Type Ia
SNe has been interpreted as a sign of a very low density CSM. In this paper, we
report late-time (500--800 days after discovery) X-ray detections of SN 2012ca
in {\it Chandra} data. The presence of hydrogen in the initial spectrum led to
a classification of Type Ia-CSM, ostensibly making it the first SN~Ia detected
with X-rays. Our analysis of the X-ray data favors an asymmetric medium, with a
high-density component which supplies the X-ray emission. The data suggest a
number density cm in the higher-density medium, which is
consistent with the large observed Balmer decrement if it arises from
collisional excitation. This is high compared to most core-collapse SNe, but it
may be consistent with densities suggested for some Type IIn or superluminous
SNe. If SN 2012ca is a thermonuclear SN, the large CSM density could imply
clumps in the wind, or a dense torus or disk, consistent with the
single-degenerate channel. A remote possibility for a core-degenerate channel
involves a white dwarf merging with the degenerate core of an asymptotic giant
branch star shortly before the explosion, leading to a common envelope around
the SN.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. Accepted to MNRA
Sher 25: pulsating but apparently alone
The blue supergiant Sher25 is surrounded by an asymmetric, hourglass-shaped
circumstellar nebula, which shows similarities to the triple-ring structure
seen around SN1987A. From optical spectroscopy over six consecutive nights, we
detect periodic radial velocity variations in the stellar spectrum of Sher25
with a peak-to-peak amplitude of ~12 km/s on a timescale of about 6 days,
confirming the tentative detec-tion of similar variations by Hendry et al. From
consideration of the amplitude and timescale of the signal, coupled with
observed line profile variations, we propose that the physical origin of these
variations is related to pulsations in the stellar atmosphere, rejecting the
previous hypothesis of a massive, short-period binary companion. The radial
velocities of two other blue supergiants with similar bipolar nebulae, SBW1 and
HD 168625, were also monitored over the course of six nights, but these did not
display any significant radial velocity variations.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Using COMSOL Multiphysics Software to Model Anisotropic Dielectric and Metamaterial Effects in Folded-Waveguide Traveling-Wave Tube Slow-Wave Circuits
The electromagnetic effects of conventional dielectrics, anisotropic dielectrics, and metamaterials were modeled in a terahertz-frequency folded-waveguide slow-wave circuit. Results of attempts to utilize these materials to increase efficiency are presented
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